The First Snow
by Massani
Summary: "The snow brought a bitter winter chill with it, and Luna had a feeling that this winter would be harsh."


**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition  
** **Position:** Beater 2 for Holyhead Harpies **  
** **Prompts:  
** Bambi  
1\. (quote) 'Okay is wonderful.' - AVPM  
14\. (object) a broken wand

 **Word Count:** 1094

* * *

Luna watched as the first snow drifted down from the heavens and settled on the ground in front of her. Enchanting as it was in the way that it fell, it wasn't all beautiful; the snow brought a bitter winter chill with it, and Luna had a feeling that this winter would be harsh.

She turned and started walking back towards her house. It was almost night, and her dad would be putting out the evening tea soon. She shivered as she walked. The cold was already setting in, and she'd be glad of the fire that her dad was sure to be making.

Luna stepped over the threshold and allowed the warmth to wash over her—that was one thing they couldn't take, after all. Times had been hard for her and her dad; the Quibbler had always been controversial, but as far as the current government was concerned, it was now downright treasonous. People were scared to be seen reading it and lately, the Lovegoods couldn't even buy food. Not only were sales down, but every time they went outside they were mobbed by supporters of You-Know-Who.

But still, they remained upbeat. Things had been worse before, and Luna and her dad had gotten through it all together.

"Luna, my dear, come inside. You must be freezing."

Her dad's voice never failed to make her smile, but when Luna looked at him it was tinged with sadness. He had grown awfully frail in the past few months. His vibrant purple silks were faded and torn, and his hair had grown wild and unkempt. It hurt her greatly to see him suffering in this way.

"Yes, Dad, how are you feeling today?" Luna asked, making sure to keep her tone light and breezy.

"Okay, I think."

"Okay is good. Okay is _wonderful_. Have you thought about what to put in the next issue? Isabella over the hill says that she's seen some Nargles in the forest."

"Yes, yes. I think that could be good." Xenophilius pottered around in the kitchen, his hands idly fumbling with little pots and pans.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"Hmm," he mumbled, still looking inside the little pots. "Yes, I'm just looking for sugar…"

"It's over here with the tea." Luna was getting concerned now. Even during his worst moments, her dad hadn't been this bad.

"Oh, yes." Xenophilius started chucking. "Silly me, I can't see a thing."

Outside there was a loud crash, and Luna could hear raucous laughter. She could distinctly hear voices, loud and cruel.

"Luna." Her dad looked over at her, his eyes were wide with fear. "Run, now!"

Luna grabbed her wand from the table and sprinted towards the back door. She threw it open and ran down the path, ignoring the shouts behind her. She could hear her dad running just behind her, his breath ragged and disjointed. A red bolt flew past Luna's ear and hit the side of the house. Horrified, she looked over her shoulder to see her father drawing his wand and aiming it angrily at the forest. "Keep running! Keep running!" Xenophilius ran towards her. "Don't look back! Just keep going!"

Another spell flew past Luna just as she came to the edge of the forest. She ran beyond the treeline, soon collapsing beneath the branches of an ancient oak.  
"We did it, Dad!" she gasped. "We made it!"

Luna looked around for her dad but saw only rows and rows of trees—all standing tall, like a silent vigil.

"Dad?" Luna could hear the doubt in her own voice. He would be okay. He was always okay.  
Again, there was no answer, and Luna faltered. Where was he? Had the Snatchers got him?  
"Dad, where are you?" Luna shouted, cursing herself a second later. What if the Snatchers heard her? The forest had lost its appeal; the trees pressed in close around her, and she felt like she was suffocating. She had to find her dad.

Luna walked back through the forest, taking care to be quiet so that they wouldn't hear her. She stumbled through the snowbanks, distressed at how her clothes had become soaked from the melting snow. She was scared now—her father had always been a constant in her life, and without him, she didn't quite know how she would survive. She had never known such fear nor loneliness before that moment.

As Luna stumbled back out into the clearing and looked around, she noticed that the snow was falling so thick and fast now that it was almost impossible to make anything out. Looking into the distance, she saw a shape crumpled in the snow.

" _No!"_ Luna ran towards it, only to find her father lying face down in the snow. "Dad…" She could do nothing but weep, feeling the tears that streamed from her eyes already starting to freeze on her cheeks; it was so much colder than she'd realised.

"That's close enough, girl."

Luna quickly spun around, only to see a thin young man, a shadow of a beard on his chin. His hand was outstretched, wand pointing straight at her.

"Who are you?" Luna dared to ask.

"My name's Stan. You're gonna come with me now, girl, alright?"

"My name's not 'girl.' It's L—"

"I know your name, girl," he interrupted harshly. "Your dad's life depends on you right now. Either you come with me and he lives or you kick up a fuss and I kill him." Luna stared at this cold and unfamiliar man before her and then down at her dad in the snow. She had to save him if she could. Of course she did. "Okay," she conceded, shakily getting to her feet and almost slipping on the snow as she did so.

"Hold on, gimme your wand. Won't be needin' it now, will ya?" Stan held out his other hand expectantly. Luna glanced back at her father and reluctantly handed over her wand. Stan appraised it for a second before snapping it cleanly in two. Luna gasped. She'd had that wand for six years; it had become a part of her.

And now it was gone.

Stan threw the pieces down next to Luna's dad and gestured with his own wand. "Come on! Let's get goin'!" Luna looked back towards the spot where her dad lay and at the splinters of wood next to him, then turned and walked towards Stan. She shivered in the cold as together the two of them disappeared into the developing blizzard.

Into the white blanket of uncertainty.


End file.
